Published on: October 15, 2025, 09:32h.
Updated on: October 15, 2025, 09:32h.
- The Mississippi Gulf Coast may see the opening of new casinos in the near future.
- Four active casino proposals exist along the coastline.
The casinos along the Mississippi Gulf Coast are facing tough times, with gross gaming revenue (GGR) declining in recent years. Nevertheless, this area is attracting interest for new gaming projects.
The Mississippi Gaming Commission categorizes 12 casinos as part of its Coastal area: Beau Rivage, Boomtown, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock, Harrah’s, Hollywood, IP, Island View, Palace, Scarlet Pearl, Silver Slipper, and Treasure Bay, situated in Biloxi, Bay St. Louis, D’Iberville, Gulfport, and Lakeshore.
Last year, the Coastal GGR, which includes revenues from slot machines, table games, and sports betting, reached $1.582 billion. This marks the third year in a row of decreased GGR.
Despite this, there is a wave of proposed casino development along the Gulf, including a significant project that has been in the works for over 15 years and is now nearing construction.
Optimism for the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Although 2024 saw continued GGR decline along the Mississippi Gulf, it still represented a boost of 20% from 2019, when Coastal casinos recorded a win of $1.314 billion. This has led four developers to persist in their plans, aiming to enhance the regional gaming landscape with new casinos.
Recently, RW Development, led by local entrepreneur Ray Wooldridge, received a permit from the city of Biloxi to begin demolishing the long-derelict pier at Veterans Ave. and Beach Blvd. (US Highway 90). Wooldridge is set to construct a $1 million, accessible pier featuring a pavilion and fishing area, dubbed the Veterans Avenue Pier.
Once completed, the pier will meet state gaming regulations, allowing Wooldridge to advance his plans for a casino resort on the site of his existing Big Play Entertainment Center.
Wooldridge is not the only ambitious casino developer in the region, as two other casino proposals are currently being pursued about four miles further east from his intended site.
Local real estate developer Daniel Conwill, through Biloxi Capital, has proposed a casino resort on 32 acres just west of the Biloxi Yacht Club and Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art at 420 Beach Blvd. This location was previously home to the Tivoli Hotel, which was lost to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The proposed Tivoli project features 1,300 hotel rooms alongside a 100K-square-foot casino housing 2,000 slot machines, 75 table games, and a sportsbook. The Mississippi Gaming Commission (MGC) permitted the bid to proceed during a vote in January.
To the east of the Tivoli proposal, Tennessee entrepreneur Israel Schwartz is moving ahead with his Tullis Gardens Hotel & Casino project, which received MGC approval last December.
Schwartz plans to develop an 11-story hotel featuring 300 rooms, along with over 53,000 square feet of gaming space, equipped with 900 slots, 35 table games, and a sports betting area. The project also includes a full-scale replica of the Tullis-Toledano Manor, which was also lost during Katrina.
Long Beach Casino Proposal
Farther west in Long Beach, the proprietors of Parrish’s Restaurant & Lounge are looking to redevelop the old Kmart site across from their elevated restaurant into a casino and resort.
Jim Parrish has put forth a proposal for a 300-room hotel alongside a 40,000-square-foot casino. Long Beach officials are in the midst of reviewing this proposal.